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Akpabio approaches tribunal to reclaim senate seat
Former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, and the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state have approached the Election Petition Tribunal to reclaim the Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial seat from the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Chris Ekpenyong.
Akpabio, a former Minority Leader of Senate under the PDP, was the candidate of the APC for the senatorial seat for the February 23 National Assembly election.
Aniete Ekong, Akpabio’s Press Secretary, disclosed this in a statement.
“Following the withdrawal of his case filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, which sought to challenge his Senate re-election loss, the candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, for the Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district in the February 23 election, Akpabio, and his party, have approached the election tribunal sitting in Uyo, to kick-start the legal processes that would lead to the validation of his victory at the polls”, he said.
Read also: You are on your own! Presidency tells APC leaders Buhari will not interfere in rerun elections
According to Ekong, the former governor is challenging Ekpenyong’s victory based on perceived electoral irregularities which characterised the said election.
Akpabio is also accusing the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of infractions and deliberate violations of the electoral law and guidelines during the senatorial election.
“in the said election, INEC had in collaboration with some PDP chieftains in the senatorial district, wrongfully declared Ekpeyong and his party, PDP, winner of the poll, having scored 118,215 as against Akpabio’s 83,158.
“However, incontrovertible result sheets from Akwa Ibom INEC office showed different figures that had Akpabio securing 138,256 votes as against Ekpeyong’s 123,843.
“Dissatisfied with the conduct and outcome of the election, the former governor of Akwa Ibom State and his party vowed to approach the election petition tribunal to ventilate their grievances as well as reclaim their stolen mandate”, Ekong said.
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